The benefits of Pu'er Tea are increasingly being recognized by people. As science advances, scientists have also used technology to demonstrate the various advantages of Pu'er tea. But what about from a Traditional Chinese medicine perspective? What are the advantages and disadvantages of Pu'er tea? From a TCM perspective, Pu'er tea is red in color, which is associated with fire, it has a slightly warm nature and a slightly bitter taste (also associated with fire), and it has a mild flavor that corresponds to the spleen, which is associated with earth. Overall, it has warming and nourishing effects on the spleen and stomach and can help eliminate dampness. It grows in Yunnan, where the mountains are high and numerous, and the earth's energy is the strongest. Therefore, Pu'er tea possesses more earth energy than other teas.
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, Pu'er tea is red in color and associated with fire, it has a slightly warm nature, a slightly bitter taste (also associated with fire), and a mild flavor that corresponds to the spleen (earth). Overall, it has warming and nourishing effects on the spleen and stomach and can help eliminate dampness. Its growing environment is in Yunnan, where the mountains are high and numerous, and the earth's energy is the strongest. Thus, Pu'er tea has a stronger effect in warming the spleen and stomach and aiding digestion compared to other teas.
Newly made raw Pu'er tea has a more pronounced bitterness and astringency, with a strong diuretic effect, making its digestive aid properties more potent. Drinking it on an empty stomach is not easily tolerated by most people. High-quality ripe tea, on the other hand, has a mellow and gentle flavor, with a moderate and long-lasting effect, making it easier to tolerate. After several infusions, the mild and warm flavor becomes more apparent, which is particularly beneficial for those with a spleen deficiency and dampness constitution.
The famous Qing Dynasty Traditional Chinese Medicine scholar Zhao Xuemin wrote in his book “Supplement to Materia Medica”: “Pu'er tea has a warm nature and a fragrant flavor. It is produced in the six tea mountains such as Youle and Gedeng, with the flavors of Yibang and Manzhuancha being more prominent. It has a bitter and forceful nature, capable of relieving the toxicity of greasy foods like beef and mutton; it should be avoided by those who are weak. Its bitterness and astringency help expel phlegm and regulate the qi, and it aids in purging the intestines. The paste of Pu'er tea is black like lacquer, and it is the best at sobering one up, with the green variety being even better. It helps in digestion, clears the stomach, and promotes the production of saliva, with particularly strong effects.”
A Tibetan proverb evaluates Pu'er tea thus: “Ja Cha Re! Ja Xia Re! Ja Suo Re!” which translates to: “Tea is blood! Tea is flesh! Tea is life!” This highly praises the role of Pu'er tea in the lives of the Tibetan people (mainly referring to its digestive aid function). Tibetans mainly consume meat and butter tea, and they benefit greatly from Pu'er tea's powerful digestive and fat-cutting effects, hence their high praise, which also corroborates Zhao Xuemin's discussion.
Although Pu'er tea aids digestion and cuts through grease, it is important to note that Traditional Chinese Medicine emphasizes balance between yin and yang and stresses the use of medicines to avoid “excess,” “insufficiency,” and “weakening the already weak.” Classical TCM always emphasizes the protection of the body's positive energy (constitution and disease resistance). This principle applies to the use of medicines and also to Drinking Tea. Therefore, drinking Pu'er tea in moderation according to one's constitution and specific circumstances at the time is a rational and nourishing choice that aligns with the principles of TCM dialectics.